Israel-Hamas latest: US intel suggests Israel not to blame for hospital blast as Biden pledges $100m in aid

Joe Biden has told Israelis not to make the “mistakes” that the US did after the September 11 2001 terror attacks, as he warned its citizens not to be “consumed” by hate over the Hamas assault that killed more than 1,400 people.

He said after 9/11 the US was “enraged”, in a reference to the US invasion that saw hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians killed in the Second Gulf War.

“While you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it. After 9/11 we were enraged in the United States. While we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes,” the US president said in a powerful speech in Tel Aviv.

He also said the Hamas attack brought “back memories of the Holocaust”, and compared Israel’s devastation to the aftermath of 9/11, which killed nearly 3,000 people.

Mr Biden blamed an “errant rocket” fired from Gaza for an explosion last night on a hospital feared to have killed hundreds of people, saying his information was based on US defence department sources.

Hamas blamed the hospital blast on an Israeli air strike; Israel said the fire was caused by a failed rocket launched from within the enclave by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Key Points

• Don’t repeat our 9/11 mistakes, Biden tells Israel

• US defence chiefs ‘have data showing Israel not guilty of blast'

• Israel to let aid into Gaza from Egypt, says Biden

• Explainer: Everything we know about the Gaza hospital explosion

• EU chief warns of Hamas ‘live-streaming executions'

Four Palestinian teenagers ‘killed in West Bank'

08:48 , Athena Stavrou

Seven Palestinians, including four teenagers, were killed by Israeli forces in several areas of the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian official news agency WAFA.

The report says two teenagers, aged 15 and 17, were killed by live bullets after the Israeli forces “targetted” them at the entrance to the village of Shuqba, west of Ramallah.

WAFA added that in the last 12 hours, a 14-year-old was shot and killed by Israeli forces in a refugee camp south of Bethlehem.

Another boy, 16, was killed in a refugee camp east of Tulkarm after Israeli forces allegedly left him “lying on the ground bleeding for about an hour, and prevented ambulances from transferring him to the hospital.”

Three other Palestinians were also killed in the West Bank over the last 12 hours, WAFA reports - raising the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since October 7th to 69.

Israel has not immediately commented on the incidents

‘Irresponsible speculation’ saw Biden talks called off, says UK minister

08:12 , Athena Stavrou

Security minister Tom Tugendhat said “irresponsible speculation” over the al Ahli hospital blast led to Arab leaders calling off talks with US president Joe Biden.

He told Times Radio: “The reason we’re going to be so careful about this is that the premature speculation comes at a cost.

“The reality is there were beginning of talks promised between President Biden and some Arab leaders, and irresponsible speculation led to some of those leaders walking away as they thought that it would be unacceptable to discuss such matters after Israel had been accused of this attack.”

He added: “It now appears that that was at best speculation and at worst propaganda by a terrorist organisation.”

Mr Tugendhat said the figures are still “not entirely clear” on the number of British hostages in the Middle East. “We are doing our best to make sure that we help get the hostages released,” he added.

Sunak tells Israelis: “I grieve with you"

08:02 , Athena Stavrou

Rishi Sunak said he stands with Israel “against the evil that is terrorism” as he arrived in the country for talks.

In a post on X, he said: “I am in Israel, a nation in grief. I grieve with you and stand with you against the evil that is terrorism. Today, and always.”

He also told reporters as he landed: “Above all, I’m here to express my solidarity with the Israeli people. You have suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism and I want you to know that the United Kingdom and I stand with you.”

IDF continues to attack Gaza Strip “all the time”

08:01 , Athena Stavrou

The Israel Defence Forces said they have continued to strike in the Gaza Strip and have struck “hundreds of Hamas terror structures” in the last day.

In a post on Telegram, the IDF wrote: “The structures include anti-tank missile launching posts, terror tunnel shafts, intelligence infrastructure, and additional command centers. Dozens of mortar launchers were also struck, the majority of which were destroyed immediately after launching shells at Israel.”

They also claimed to have “killed terror operatives, including senior members of different terror organizations, including the head of the military branch of the ‘Popular Resistance Committees’ in Rafah”

Local media reported that after midnight on Wednesday, Israel intensified bombing over different parts of Gaza, killing “dozens” of Palestinians.

Rishi Sunak arrives in Israel for talks with Benjamin Netanyahu

07:29 , Athena Stavrou

Rishi Sunak has arrived in Israel as he prepares to meet leaders in the Middle East and call for any “dangerous escalation” in violence to be avoided.

The prime minister will hold talks with his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog as he starts a two-day trip expected to take in other capitals in the region.

He will urge Middle East leaders to “avoid further dangerous escalation”, saying that “too many lives have been lost” already in the Israeli-Hamas war.

Breaking: Rishi Sunak lands in Israel

07:17 , Namita Singh

British prime minister Rishi Sunak has landed in Tel Aviv, said Israel’s Army radio. His two day trip comes as he tries to prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from spiralling into a larger crisis.

Israeli president calls BBC coverage ‘atrocious’

07:16 , Namita Singh

Israel’s president has accused the BBC of “atrocious” coverage of the Hamas-Israel conflict following the corporation’s decision not to refer to Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Isaac Herzog asked what else the BBC needed “in order for them to admit that we are dealing with the worst terrorist organisation in the world?”.

Mr Herzog said: “I feel the BBC’s reporting is atrocious. The fact that it does not recognise Hamas as a terror organisation requires a complete legal battle and public battle. It’s unbelievable.”

Israel president accuses BBC of ‘atrocious coverage’ of Hamas-Israel conflict

Would be ‘extremely dangerous’ for Israel to lie about hospital attack, says ex-MI6 chief

07:15 , Namita Singh

Sir Alex Younger, former chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) was asked on ITV’s Peston whether he believed Israel was being truthful when it said a hospital in Gaza was hit by a hostile missile rather than theirs.

Sir Alex said: “Israel knows it’s in the court of public opinion, it understands that, and I think for it to do anything other than tell the truth as it sees it would be extremely dangerous.”

Peston asked about a video, that some have accused Israel of faking, of alleged Hamas members talking about a failed missile launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, to which he said: “I think Israel would be completely nuts to try anything like that and I very much doubt it’s the case.”

US State Department official resigns over country’s approach to Israel-Palestine conflict

07:14 , Namita Singh

US State Department official Josh Paul resigned over Joe Biden administration’s approach towards Israel Palestine conflict.

“I made myself a promise that I would stay for as long as I felt the harm I might do could be outweighed by the good I could do,” Paul, who worked in the State Department division ​​overseeing arms sales, wrote in his note. “In my 11 years I have made more moral compromises than I can recall, each heavily, but each with my promise to myself in mind, and intact.”

“I am leaving today because I believe that in our current course with regards to the continued – indeed, expanded and expedited – provision of lethal arms to Israel – I have reached the end of that bargain,” he wrote.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in The Hague urge ICC action

06:48 , Namita Singh

Several hundred pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside The Hague headquarters of the International Criminal Court (ICC) yesterday to urge it and the international community to take action against what they call genocide against Palestinians.

Fighting began on 7 October when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel as part of its goal to end Israeli occupation. Israel has since retaliated by bombing Gaza, and an estimated 1,400 Israelis and 3,000 Palestinians have been killed so far.

The ICC is investigating potential atrocity crimes that Hamas militants in Israel and Israelis in the Gaza Strip have committed since 2014, which also covers the current conflict.

“We are against killings of any (parties), however when it comes to Gaza the world is always (turning) a blind eye. We came here to say enough is enough,” Rafat Alkayyali, 50, said, adding that he came to the ICC to protest because he believes in international law.

Protesters carried signs that said: “Justice for Palestine - Stop the Genocide” and “How many children will die until Israel is prosecuted”.

Last week ICC prosecutor Karim Khan told Reuters that the court has jurisdiction over potential atrocity crimes carried out by Hamas militants in Israel and Israelis in the Gaza Strip, even though Israel is not a member state.

Americans warned against travelling to Lebanon as part of Beirut embassy set on fire

06:43 , Namita Singh

The US has warned Americans not to travel to Lebanon after part of the Beirut embassy complex was set on fire.

Family members of US government personnel and non-essential embassy staff were allowed to leave Lebanon after the embassy in Beirut was targeted by protestors who started a fire at the complex.

Footage from the ground showed heavy protesting, with those gathered reportedly denouncing US support for Israeli “bombardment of innocent Palestinians” – per ABC News.

Martha McHardy has more in this report:

Americans warned ‘do not travel’ to Lebanon as part of Beirut embassy is set on fire

Starbucks and workers' union sue each other over pro-Palestinian social media post

06:20 , Namita Singh

Starbucks and the union organising its workers sued each other yesterday in a standoff sparked by a social media post over the Israel-Hamas war.

Starbucks sued Workers United in federal court in Iowa, saying a pro-Palestinian social media post from a union account early in the Israel-Hamas war angered hundreds of customers and damaged its reputation.

Starbucks is suing for trademark infringement, demanding that Workers United stop using the name “Starbucks Workers United” for the group that is organizing the coffee company’s workers. Starbucks also wants the group to stop using a circular green logo that resembles Starbucks’ logo.

Workers United responded with its own filing, asking a federal court in Pennsylvania to rule that it can continue to use Starbucks’ name and a similar logo. Workers United also said Starbucks defamed the union by implying that it supports terrorism and violence.

On 9 October, two days after Hamas militants rampaged across communities in southern Israel, Starbucks Workers United posted “Solidarity with Palestine!” on X, formerly known as Twitter. Workers United – a Philadelphia-based affiliate of the Service Employees International Union – said in its lawsuit that workers put up the tweet without the authorization of union leaders. The post was up for about 40 minutes before it was deleted.

But posts and retweets from local Starbucks Workers United branches supporting Palestinians and condemning Israel were still visible on X til Wednesday. Seattle-based Starbucks filed its lawsuit in US District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, noting that Iowa City Starbucks Workers United was among those posting pro-Palestinian messages.

In video: Bombardments hit area surrounding Gaza’s Al-Quds hospital

06:09 , Namita Singh

Bombardments hit area surrounding Gaza’s Al-Quds hospital

‘Seven children die from airstrike in Gaza’

06:09 , Namita Singh

Airstrike into a home in southern Gaza town killed seven children, claim residents and doctors.

The news spread quickly on social media, as grisly images of dead and bloodied toddlers lined up side by side on a hospital stretcher stirred outrage in Gaza and the West Bank.

Bandaged and caked in dust, the bodies were brought to the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis along with three other dead members of the Bakri family. Photographers swarmed the operation room as women covered their eyes and doctors wept.

“This is a massacre,” hospital director Dr Yousef Al-Akkad said, his voice choking with emotion. “Let the world see, these are just children.”

Local medics also confirmed that the children were killed in a strike and said the Bakri family was just one of many such cases Wednesday.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Australian lawmaker accuses Israel of ‘collectively punishing’ Palestinians

06:00 , Namita Singh

Australian government minister Ed Husic has accused Israel of collectively punishing Palestinians in its war on Hamas.

“I feel very strongly that Palestinians are being collectively punished here for Hamas’ barbarism,” Mr Husic told Australian Broadcasting Corp in an interview today:

Ed Husic

Opposition senator Jane Hume accused the Muslim lawmaker of using “loose language” that did not align with the government’s position. Australia’s House of

Representatives this week passed a government motion that recognizes Israel’s “inherent right to defend itself” and “unequivocally condemns” the Hamas attacks. The motion also calls for the “protection of civilian lives and the observance of international law.”

Rishi Sunak calls for ‘calm and cool’ response to Gaza hospital blast

05:59 , Namita Singh

Rishi Sunak has called for a “calm and cool” response to the blast at a Gaza hospital as the government committed to publish an assessment of who was behind the blast.

The prime minister yesterday urged MPs not to “rush to judgment” as Israel and Hamas issued rival claims about the atrocity feared to have killed at least 500 at al Ahli.

Visiting Tel Aviv, US president Joe Biden sided with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu by telling him it “appears as though it was done by the other team, not you”.

But Mr Sunak – who held talks with the national security adviser and the chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee yesterday morning – said he would not “rush to judgment before we have all the facts on this awful situation”.

Report:

Rishi Sunak calls for ‘calm and cool’ response to Gaza hospital blast

Israel OKs limited aid for Gaza as regional tensions rise

05:58 , Namita Singh

President Joe Biden has visited Israel on an urgent mission to keep the Israel-Hamas war from spiraling into a broader regional conflict. The office of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday said that limited humanitarian aid would be allowed into Gaza from Egypt following a request from Mr Biden.

The president’s visit came after hundreds of people were reported killed in an explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital. There were conflicting claims of who was responsible for the hospital blast.

Officials in Gaza quickly blamed an Israeli airstrike. Israel denied it was involved and released a flurry of video, audio and other information that it said showed the blast was due to a missile misfire by Islamic Jihad, another militant group operating in Gaza. The Islamic Jihad dismissed that claim.

More details here:

Live updates | Israel OKs limited aid for Gaza as regional tensions rise following hospital blast

Evidence shows Hamas militants likely used some North Korean weapons in attack on Israel

05:57 , Namita Singh

Hamas fighters likely fired North Korean weapons during their 7 October assault on Israel, a militant video and weapons seized by Israel show, despite Pyongyang‘s denials that it sells arms to the militant group.

The video was analyzed by two experts on North Korean arms. Along with an Associated Press analysis of weapons captured on the battlefield and South Korean military intelligence, the video indicates that Hamas used the F-7 rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-fired weapon that fighters typically use against armored vehicles.

The evidence shines a light on the murky world of the illicit arms shipments that sanction-battered North Korea uses as a way to fund its arms programs.

Report:

Evidence shows Hamas militants likely used some North Korean weapons in attack on Israel

Antisemitism should be taught in all schools to tackle hate, says Jewish education leader

05:56 , Namita Singh

All schools should teach children about antisemitism to tackle hate incidents across society, a Jewish education leader has suggested.

Rabbi David Meyer, chief executive of Partnerships for Jewish Schools, said educating pupils is the “solution” to combating antisemitism.

His comments came after two Jewish schools in north London were vandalised with red paint in the last week following Hamas’ attack on Israel.

Education ministers have urged schools and colleges to tackle antisemitic behaviour “head on” and make sure that any expression of political views “does not create an atmosphere of intimidation or fear”.

Report:

Antisemitism should be taught in all schools to tackle hate across society

Humza Yousaf’s mother-in-law ‘can’t take another night’ in Gaza

05:19 , Namita Singh

Humza Yousaf’s mother-in-law has said she “can’t take another night” in Gaza, an SNP MP has said.

Elizabeth El-Nakla has been stuck in Gaza with her husband, Maged, since the escalation in hostilities last weekend.

According to SNP MP Chris Law, speaking in the Commons during Prime Minister’s Questions, Ms El-Nakla made her “final goodbyes” in a call with the first minister and her daughter, Nadia, this morning.

Report:

Humza Yousaf’s mother-in-law ‘can’t take another night’ in Gaza, SNP MP says

Israel’s president accuses BBC of ‘atrocious’ coverage of Hamas-Israel conflict

05:00 , Namita Singh

Israel’s president has accused the BBC of “atrocious” coverage of the Hamas-Israel conflict following the corporation’s decision not to refer to Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Isaac Herzog said Israeli families had been “wiped off the face off the earth” and asked what else the BBC needed “in order for them to admit that we are dealing with the worst terrorist organisation in the world?”.

Mr Herzog told the paper: “I feel the BBC’s reporting is atrocious.

“The fact that it does not recognise Hamas as a terror organisation requires a complete legal battle and public battle. It’s unbelievable.”

Under its editorial guidelines, the BBC said it does not use the word “terrorist” but attributes it and makes it clear that Hamas is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK government.

A statement from the BBC board, after its regular monthly meeting held earlier this week, said: “No one who has watched or listened to harrowing reports over the last 10 days could be left in any doubt about the horror brought about by Hamas’s attack on defenceless civilians in Israel.

“As this war continues, with so many deaths of innocent civilians in both Israel and Gaza, the BBC will no doubt continue to come under scrutiny about the way in which we cover it – that is to be expected and also welcomed. The BBC is listening.

“We believe that our editorial guidelines serve us well, and continue to serve us well in difficult circumstances; we do periodically review them as a matter of course, and when we do so at our next planned review in the spring, we will consult and debate these issues just as we always do.”

More in this report:

Israel’s President accuses BBC of ‘atrocious’ coverage of Hamas-Israel conflict

ICYMI: How the most important diplomatic trip of Biden’s presidency was almost derailed

05:00 , Josh Marcus

Twenty-four hours ago, it looked like there was little reason for President Joe Biden to follow through on his pledge to visit Israel and Jordan after meetings with a trio of Arab leaders were called off in the wake of an explosion which had rocked the Al-Ahli Arabi Baptist Hospital in Gaza.

Mr Biden had been set to meet with King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas before the blast, which may have killed upwards of 300 people.

But as he traveled by motorcade to Air Force One, it was announced that the second leg of the trip — set to occur after Mr Biden met with Israeli leaders in Tel Aviv — had been canceled, leaving just the opening part in Israel remaining on his agenda.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

How the most important diplomatic trip of Biden’s presidency was almost derailed

Layla Moran accepts Richard Madeley’s apology after Gaza question

04:42 , Namita Singh

An MP who has extended family in Gaza said she has accepted broadcaster Richard Madeley’s apology after he asked whether there was “any word on the street” ahead of Hamas’s attack.

Layla Moran said she thought the question during Tuesday’s GMB programme came from a “place of… ignorance” but was not asked out of malice.

A spokesperson for the ITV show said Madeley was “sorry that he upset viewers” with his line of questioning during the conversation with the Liberal Democrat MP.

Read the details here:

Moran accepts Madeley’s apology after Gaza question: ‘Came from place of ignorance’

Labour and council leaders meet amid resignations over party’s Israel stance

04:34 , Namita Singh

The Labour leadership is understood to have held a meeting with councillors after a number of resignations over the party’s messaging on the conflict in the Middle East.

Amna Abdullatif, a councillor in Ardwick in Manchester since 2019, said on Monday she would quit Labour after Sir Keir Starmer made “horrifying comments about Israel having the right to withhold fuel, water, food and electricity from the 2.2 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza, effectively endorsing a war crime”.

It came after Shaista Aziz and Amar Latif, of Oxford City Council, said they were resigning from Labour for similar reasons.

Report:

Labour and council leaders meet amid resignations over party’s Israel stance

Hundreds attend vigil outside Downing Street for Gaza hospital blast victims

04:33 , Namita Singh

Hundreds of protesters have attended a vigil outside Downing Street for victims of a deadly blast at a hospital in Gaza.

Hamas has blamed an Israeli air strike for the explosion, which is feared to have killed hundreds, while the Israeli military said the hospital was hit by a rocket misfired by Palestinian militants.

Braving heavy rain on Wednesday evening, protesters gathered in Westminster holding signs that read “stop the massacre” and “stop bombing Gaza”.

Luke O’Reilly has more in this report:

Hundreds attend vigil outside Downing Street for Gaza hospital blast victims

THE INDEPENDENT VIEW: Could Joe Biden save the Middle East and haul Israel back from the brink of disaster?

04:30 , Josh Marcus

If this war isn’t over quickly and it begins to resemble the pitiless, endless proxy wars fought in Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria, then we may be sure that there will be more terrorism, more hostage-taking and much more loss of life across the globe, we argue.

Could Joe Biden save the Middle East?

Protesters swarm Capitol rotunda to demand Israel-Hamas ceasefire

04:22 , Namita Singh

Hundreds of protesters swarmed the Cannon rotunda at the US Capitol in Washington DC yesterday to demand an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, with thousands more taking to the streets outside.

Footage online showed a large group of people, some sitting on the floor, gathered the famous building, waving a large banner that read “Jews say ceasefire now” – and chanting.

More stood on the balcony of the rotunda also waving a banners calling for a ceasefire. One read “mourn the dead and fight like hell for the living”.

My colleague Mike Bedigan reports:

Dozens of protesters swarm Capitol rotunda to demand Israel-Hamas ceasefire

Mohamed Salah calls for Gaza to be given humanitarian aid immediately

04:21 , Namita Singh

Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah has called for the massacres in the Israeli-Hamas conflict to stop and for immediate humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza.

Hundreds of Palestinian civilians were killed in a massive blast at a Gaza City hospital on Tuesday, while concerns grow as supplies of water and food ran out.

Both Israel and Hamas have issued rival claims about the atrocity feared to have killed at least 500.

Report:

Mohamed Salah calls for Gaza to be given humanitarian aid immediately

Biden backs Israel in blaming ‘the other team’ for Gaza hospital blast

04:11 , Namita Singh

Joe Biden has backed Israel’s account of the deadly blast at a Gaza hospital, saying that the “other team” were behind the explosion as he visited Tel Aviv.

The US president said he was “deeply saddened and outraged” by the explosion and that “based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you, but there’s a lot of people out there not sure so... we’ve got to overcome a lot of things.”

The vague language was toughed up later in the day after questions from the media, with Mr Biden saying that his comments backing the Israeli military’s assertion that militants in Gaza were responsible for the attack were based on “data from my Defence Department”. During a final speech before heading back to Washington, the president said that “it appears the result of an errant rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza”.

Bel Trew and Chris Stevenson report:

Biden backs Israel in blaming ‘the other team’ for Gaza hospital blast

Rishi Sunak to visit Israel for talks with Netanyahu

04:07 , Namita Singh

Rishi Sunak is setting off for a visit to Israel as part of a two-day mission to try to prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from spiralling into a larger crisis.

The prime minister’s diplomatic efforts in the Middle East follow those of US president Joe Biden, who in a trip to the country on Wednesday warned citizens not to be “consumed” by hate over the Hamas assault that killed more than 1,400 people 11 days ago.

When he meets the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and president Isaac Herzog, Mr Sunak will press for the route into Gaza to be opened as soon as possible to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and the exit of those trapped in the territory, No 10 said.

My colleague Jane Dalton has more:

Rishi Sunak to visit Israel for talks with Netanyahu in Middle East diplomacy push

Rishi Sunak to visit Israel for talks with Netanyahu

04:03 , Namita Singh

Rishi Sunak is setting off for a visit to Israel as part of a two-day mission to try to prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from spiralling into a larger crisis.

The prime minister’s diplomatic efforts in the Middle East follow those of US president Joe Biden, who in a trip to the country on Wednesday warned citizens not to be “consumed” by hate over the Hamas assault that killed more than 1,400 people 11 days ago.

When he meets the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and president Isaac Herzog, Mr Sunak will press for the route into Gaza to be opened as soon as possible to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and the exit of those trapped in the territory, No 10 said.

My colleague Jane Dalton has more:

Rishi Sunak to visit Israel for talks with Netanyahu in Middle East diplomacy push

ICYMI: Biden says it appears Gaza hospital explosion was done ‘by other team’ – not Israel

04:00 , Josh Marcus

President Joe Biden has said it “appears” that the deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital was “done by the other team” and not at the hands of Israel – as both sides continue to deny responsibility for the attack.

Speaking alongside the Israeli Prime Minister during an extraordinary wartime visit to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Mr Biden said that he was “deeply outraged and saddened” by the incident which is feared to have killed hundreds of civilians.

“I’m deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday,” he said.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Biden says it appears Gaza hospital attack was ‘other team’ not Israel

Ireland increases funding for Palestinians amid calls for ceasefire

03:59 , Namita Singh

Ireland has announced €13m (£11m) in additional funding for humanitarian assistance for Palestinians, as the country’s leaders called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin reiterated a call from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for a pause in hostilities to establish humanitarian corridors.

Mr Martin said yesterday: “The government has also made clear that we support an immediate humanitarian pause, or humanitarian ceasefire, to give space to establish humanitarian corridors to meet the immediate needs of all civilians in Gaza.”

Report:

Ireland increases funding for Palestinians amid calls for ceasefire

Ireland increases funding for Palestinians amid calls for ceasefire

03:57 , Namita Singh

Ireland has announced €13m (£11m) in additional funding for humanitarian assistance for Palestinians, as the country’s leaders called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Irish deputy premier Micheal Martin reiterated a call from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for a pause in hostilities to establish humanitarian corridors.

Mr Martin said yesterday: “The government has also made clear that we support an immediate humanitarian pause, or humanitarian ceasefire, to give space to establish humanitarian corridors to meet the immediate needs of all civilians in Gaza.”

Report:

Ireland increases funding for Palestinians amid calls for ceasefire

Biden’s Israel trip and GOP chaos drowns out the Trump show – for now

03:30 , Josh Marcus

On Wednesday morning, President Joe Biden arrived in Israel to express solidarity with the state after the deadly attack from Hamas. In addition, Mr Biden responded to an explosion at the Al-Ahli Arabi Baptist Hospital in Gaza that provoked outrage by saying that US intelligence indicated the explosion was caused “by the other team.”

Meanwhile, back on American soil, the House of Representatives entered its third week without a speaker as Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH), the rightwing firebrand, failed to win enough votes to lead the lower chamber of Congress.

The split screen likely gives Mr Biden more than a small amount of glee, while many Americans see that his advanced age is not only a drawback. His 36 years as a US senator, particularly as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his eight years as vice president, also give him wisdom and experience in handling international crises. Meanwhile, Republicans can’t even corral 217 votes to elect a speaker despite having the majority.

Read Eric Garcia’s full column.

Biden’s Israel trip and GOP chaos drowns out the Trump show – for now

ICYMI: Why is risk-averse Joe Biden gambling on such a high-stakes visit to Israel?

03:00 , Josh Marcus

The matter-of-fact announcement, that the president of the United States had arrived in Tel Aviv to a warm welcome from the prime minister of Israel, presents as normal and routine something that is about as far from routine as it is possible to be.

Joe Biden’s visit, unveiled barely 24 hours beforehand, takes him into a diplomatic and security situation that is both highly uncertain and dangerous. It is an extraordinary undertaking for any US president, and risky in the extreme.

Precisely how risky became apparent even as Biden was preparing to leave Washington on board Air Force One, with the news breaking from Gaza, closely followed by angry accusations and disclaimers, that the main hospital in Gaza City had been hit by a missile, leaving hundreds dead and still more injured. The hospital was also providing refuge for Gazans ordered to evacuate or fleeing homes already destroyed by Israeli fire.

Mary Dejevsky with more analysis on Independent Premium.

Why is risk-averse Joe Biden gambling on such a high-stakes visit to Israel?

Key messages from Biden’s trip to Israel

02:30 , Josh Marcus

President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he would ask Congress for “unprecedented” amounts of aid to both Israel and the Palestinian people amid escalating violence following terror attacks by Hamas and a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital.

Mr Biden, who delivered remarks in Tel Aviv after a series of meetings with Israeli officials, first responders and survivors of the 7 October attacks, urged both sides against being consumed by anger in an escalating cycle of violence and making mistakes similar to those that the US and its allies had made in the period following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

“You are a Jewish state. You are a Jewish state. But you’re also a democracy. Like the United States, you don’t live by the rules of terrorists. You live by the rule of law. When conflict is fair, you live by the rule of law of war,” said Mr Biden, who added that what sets the US and Israel “apart from the terrorists” is a belief “‘in the fundamental dignity of every human life”.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Biden vows world won’t repeat mistakes of Holocaust and 9/11 in historic Israel visit

Experts raise doubts over veracity of ‘Hamas’ audio release by IDF after hospital strike

01:50 , Josh Marcus

Despite the US and Israel concluding that Palestinian militant groups are behind yesterday’s devastating hospital explosion, some experts are still raisining questions.

Multiple experts told Channel 4 they have doubts that purported Hamas audio released by Israel is accurate, citing irregularities with the speakers’ tone, syntax, accent and idiom.

What kind of aid will reach Gaza under new arrangement with US and Egypt?

01:23 , Josh Marcus

After days of living under a total blockade, civilians in Gaza will receive limited assistance from Egypt and the US, officials announced on Wednesday.

Egypt will allow up to 20 aid trucks of food, water, and medical supplies into the territory through Rafah, while the US will send $100m in aid.

“This money will support more than 1 million displaced in conflict...including emergency needs in Gaza,” Joe Biden said Wednesday during a speech from Israel.

Human rights groups have said the additional supplies won’t relieve the pressing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as key infrastructure is shut down because of blockaded electricity and fuel supplies.

Jordanian minister says ‘nobody’ in Middle East believes US on Gaza hospital blast

01:03 , Josh Marcus

US officials say they’ve concluded that Israel was not behind a blast that reportedly killed 500 people at a Gaza hospital on Tuesday, affirming statements from Israeli leaders that the explosion was the result of a botched Palestinian militant operation instead.

Jordan’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi said that while the US and Israel have one view of the explosion, many Middle East countries don’t share it.

“Nobody is buying that narrative in this part of the world,” Mr Safadi told NBC News.

Rishi Sunak plans visit to Israel

00:43 , Josh Marcus

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak will visit Israel and other regional capitals this week, as the Israel-Hamas war continues to escalate.

“Every civilian death is a tragedy. And too many lives have been lost following Hamas’ horrific act of terror,” Downing Street said in a statement.

“The attack on Al-Ahli Hospital should be a watershed moment for leaders in the region and across the world to come together to avoid further dangerous escalation of conflict,” Mr Sunak added.

The visit follows a high-profile trip from Joe Biden to Israel on Wednesday.

Republican congressman accuses Tlaib of joining ‘Hamas misinformation campaign’ over hospital blast

00:23 , Josh Marcus

A GOP congressman is furious that representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan blamed Israel for an explosion at a Gaza hospital yesterday, as Israel denies its forces are behind the blast.

“It is appalling and unacceptable that Democrats in Congress partook in Hamas’ misinformation campaign,” Mike Lawyler of New York said in a statement Wednesday. “Rep Tlaib and her radical colleagues helped spread this insidious lie far and wide, without remorse, and as of this morning have yet to take down their posts, issue an apology, or place blame on the actual perpetrators with the same conviction.”

The Democratic congressman, one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, has continued to criticise the IDF and the US for not seeking a ceasefire.

“As an American, not just as a member of the United States Congress, I am ashamed,” she said at a rally on Wednesday. “I am ashamed that they’re saying, ‘not yet. Maybe next week.’ ... How many more have to die?”

UN official warns of ‘dangerous abyss’ as US vetoes Security Council resolution

00:03 , Josh Marcus

The United Nations special coordinator for the Israel-Palestine peace process warned on Wednesday that the conflict was reaching dangerous new territory, after the US vetoed a Security Council resolution on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

“I fear that we are at the brink of a deep and dangerous abyss that could change the trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, if not of the Middle East as a whole,” Tor Wennesland told The New York Times after the vote.

The US said it voted against the resolution because it “made no mention of Israel’s right of self-defense.”

War continues to expand as IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

23:43 , Josh Marcus

The Israel-Hamas war continues to threaten evolving into a wider regional conflict.

The IDF told CNN early on Thursday local time it is in the process of striking various Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, the latest in a series of skirmishes with the militant group since fighting broke out.

Israeli forces also struck a Syrian army position today, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

After Rafah aid announcement, HRW pushes Israel and US to end ‘war crime’ blockage

23:23 , Josh Marcus

Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday that the US and Israel should do more to end what it called the “collective punishment” of Gaza’s civilians, which amounts to a “war crime.”

The group argued that despite Israel’s announcement on Wednesday it would allow limit shipments of food, water, and medicine into the enclave from Egypt, the measures “fall short” because of a continued blockade of key fuel and electricity supplies into Gaza.

“Israel’s bombardment and unlawful total blockade of Gaza mean that countless wounded and sick children, among many other civilians, will die for want of medical care,” Bill Van Esveld, associate children’s rights director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement on the group’s website. “US President Joe Biden, who is in Israel today, should press Israeli officials to completely lift the unlawful blockade and ensure the entire civilian population has prompt access to water, food, fuel, and electricity.”

WATCH: Aid to begin trickling into Gaza from Egypt

23:03 , Josh Marcus

Amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, a tiny trickle of aid will begin reaching the civilians of the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Aid supplies from Egypt will enter Gaza across the Rafah border crossing, according to Joe Biden.

Israel has announced it will not interfere with the shipments.

Video shows explosion near another Gaza hospital

22:35 , Josh Marcus

An Israeli air strike hit a building less than 100 meters from the Al-Quds hospital in Gaza on Wednesday, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, just a day after an explosion at another hospital in the Palestinian enclave killed an estimated 500 people and set off an international scandal.

Watch footage of the attack below via Independent TV.

Breaking: Biden to address nation on Israel-Hamas war and Ukraine

22:19 , Josh Marcus

President Joe Biden will deliver a major address on the ten day-old war between Israel and Hamas and Russia’s nearly two year-old war against Ukraine from the Oval Office on Thursday evening, the White House has said.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement late Wednesday that Mr Biden would address the nation at 8.00 pm ET to “discuss our response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel and Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine”.

Andrew Feinberg has the details.

Biden to address nation on Israel-Hamas war and Ukraine

Footage appears to show bombardments around another hospital in Gaza City

22:09 , Holly Evans

Video footage posted on social media by the Palestine Red Crescent Society appears to show bombardments occurring near the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza.

The humanitarian organisation, which is affiliated with the International Red Cross, said that 8,000 people are currently seeking refuge at the hosptial.